NT: Cyclone Thelma threatens Top End coastal communities

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-1998
NT: Cyclone Thelma threatens Top End coastal communities
- By Wayne Howell

DARWIN, Dec 6 AAP - The Top End's first tropical cyclone of this wet season was about 400km
north east of Darwin this afternoon and expected to hit coastal communities within two days,
the Bureau of Meteorology said today.

Cyclone Thelma, a category one cyclone with winds of 90kph, was expected to hit coastal
areas between Croker Island, about 250km north-east of Darwin, and Cape Fourcroy on Bathurst
Island, about 100km north-west of Darwin, in the next two days.

A category one cyclone with winds of less than 124kph is the lowest category, rising up to
category five, where winds can reach more than 280kph.

According to the meteorology bureau, a category one cyclone can cause minor damage to
houses and crops.

The senior forecaster at the bureau's severe weather section, Lori Chappel, said the
cyclone was three weeks earlier than normal, probably because of the La Nina weather
phenomenon that has come in the wake of the El Nino.

She said since the category four Cyclone Tracy devastated most of Darwin and killed 66
people in 1974 there had only been four much smaller cyclones to have directly affected
Darwin.

They were Cyclone Max (category one) in 1981, Cyclone Gretel (category 2) in 1985, Cyclone
Neville (category one) in 1992 and Cyclone Rachel (category one) in January last year.

Another senior forecaster at the bureau, Ian Shepherd, said it was unlikely Cyclone Thelma
would directly affect Darwin.

"It's unlikely but we have all staff on board and we will be tracking it around the clock,"
Mr Shepherd said.

AAP wjh/kr/de

KEYWORD: THELMA

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